What are your thoughts about joining the Ravens? Is this a team that you felt like was connected to you throughout this process, and how do you feel like you fit on this team and this offense? (Garrett Downing) "Yes, sir. When I was at the NFL Combine, I remember the receiver coach. It was an instant connection. I felt it there, and I'm very excited to be a Raven. [The Ravens] have a good organization, good history behind them, a great quarterback in Lamar [Jackson]. [The Ravens] have a great offense, adding Derrick Henry, and I'm just glad to be a part of that."
Following up on that, what do you think about catching passes from Lamar Jackson?" (Garrett Downing) "It's definitely an honor. I've been watching Lamar since he came out of high school, watched him at Louisville. I think he's a great football player. He's somebody that I wished I was on his team, and now that wish is coming true. He's a great player. I love watching him, so I'm looking forward to being alongside of him."
You played against the Ravens' first-round pick CB Nate Wiggins. What do you remember about that, and what is it like to now be teammates with him? (Giana Han) "[Nate Wiggins] was a very good player. Honestly, he's probably the best player I've ever went against. He was very fluid in his technique, very fast – he was one of the few guys that was hip-for-hip with me. I'm glad to be able to compete against him every day. Going against him, it was a fun game. He's a great player, and I'm looking forward to going against him every day in practice."
How happy are you to have the NCAA behind you and not have to worry about that? And, how much of a distraction was that for you last year? I mean, you came back and put up big-time numbers despite all that going on kind of in the background. (Ryan Mink) "I'm very happy it's in the past, glad they finally made the right decision at the time. I was just happy to be able to be on the field and show why I belonged at that Power 5 level. So, it's no bad blood between me and the NCAA. I'm just thankful they made that decision, and I was able to do what I had to do to get to this point."
What was your involvement with the Ravens in the pre-Draft process, and did you get the sense at any point that they would be one of the most likely teams to take you here in one of the middle rounds? (Jeff Zrebiec) "I didn't really talk to [the Ravens] at the Senior Bowl. I talked to them at the Combine. It was a good conversation, a good meeting. I didn't really have a thought about them after the Combine, because I didn't talk to them much, but they did call me here and there after the Combine. It was funny, my high school head coach said he had a feeling that they were going to take me, with what I think he'd been hearing about what they need. So, the Ravens had been in the back of my mind a little bit."
Your ability as a deep threat has been praised. I'm just curious, from your perspective, what do you think are some of the strengths of your game? (Carita Parks) "Definitely a vertical threat, but I feel like the speed, cuts at the top of the route and things like that, I feel like I'm very good in that aspect and running away from defenders. Still need a little work at the top of the route, cleaning up steps and things like that, but I feel like releasing off the ball and being a vertical threat, those are the two strong points of my game."
Growing up, was there a receiver you tried to emulate or a favorite player you had growing up along the way? (Brian Wacker) "Yes, Ravens fans aren't going to like it, but [former Bengals WR] A.J. Green was somebody I loved growing up. I loved watching him. I kind of tried to emulate my game after him, idolized him a little bit – big, fast, can make those contested catches. He just continued to get better every year that he was in the League. I loved watching him every year that he was in the League. So, I loved watching him even when he was at Georgia. A.J. Green was that person for me."
We talked about the NCAA earlier, what did you take from that experience? Did you learn anything from that experience? And did you think that's going to help you transition to the NFL? (Nikhil Mehta) "What I took from that is how much I cared, how much I cared about my teammates and relied on them. Without them, I probably wouldn't have gotten through that situation, and that helped me become a better teammate, because that helped me want to stay around them while I wasn't playing and cheer them on while they were out there competing. So, that's something I learned about myself. I learned about how good of a teammate I was, and I feel like that's what I'll bring to this organization."
I'm just curious what you already know about the wide receivers on the Ravens roster and how you feel like you fit in or add something different to this group? (Giana Han) "Zay Flowers – I watched him at Boston College, he's a good piece there, working inside and outside. He's like the route technician of the room. I know Odell [Beckham Jr.] isn't there anymore, but he's one of the guys I watched growing up. When he was there [in Baltimore], he was a good player, he was that good veteran piece for them. What's the guy's name, on the outside, came from [the University of] Minnesota. I forgot his name but he – Rashod Bateman – he's a good player. [He's] big, physical, [and he] holds down the outside. He's able to stretch the field and be that vertical piece for Baltimore – he's done some good things on tape. There's room there, there's a lot of great pieces for Lamar [Jackson], and I feel like with my skill set, I'll be able to add on to be a deadly weapon down the line."
You talked about QB Lamar Jackson a little bit earlier. Is he somebody that even looking from afar, you were just a big-time fan of? And then second, Todd Monken's offense, you probably saw that at Georgia from afar. Just your thoughts on joining an offense like that that likes to get the ball to playmakers and speed guys in space? (Ryan Mink) "I've been a huge fan of Lamar [Jackson]; he used to do amazing things at Louisville. He was one of those guys you wanted to be like – you want to go off and do the same type of things he does. Like I said, he's just a great football player; he makes the game fun. Their offense, Baltimore, they showcase a lot of great things. You see great players, with playmakers, players like Zay Flowers making big plays down the field. [Offensive coordinator Todd Monken is] big in trying to get his playmakers the ball, get the ball in their hand, and I feel like I can be one of those guys who can do that for this organization."
Can you just walk me through the moment that you got the call to Baltimore? What was going through your head? What was it like on your end sharing that moment with your family? (Carita Parks) "I got the call. As soon as he told me it was the Baltimore Ravens, I teared up, kind of broke down. It was a moment I've been waiting for since I was four years old. I told my grandmother and mother, 'This is what I wanted to do. I want to play in the NFL.' That's always been my why. Football has always kept me level-headed, so hearing those words, that I'm going to be a part of an NFL roster, it broke me down to tears; [I had] family yelling in the background. When I told them it was Baltimore, they were very excited, they know how rich this organization is. When we see Baltimore every Sunday, Baltimore has a history of winning. This is a good organization to be a part of, and I'm just ready to get there."
The UNC offense is a pretty vertical offense. People said your route sheet was a lot of vertical stuff. Do you feel like you have more tools in your bag to have a more diverse pattern of routes and stuff? (Jonas Shaffer) "Yes, sir. I definitely do. I feel like UNC did a good job of utilizing what we had. I was the best deep threat, so they tried to keep me on those type of routes because that is where most of my big plays came from. But, I feel like I do have a lot of other tools in the bag and a lot of other routes that I love running and can get open on as well. So, that's something that I'm very eager and ready to showcase on this level."
